The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-11-04
THE GRAND TRUNK.
Interview with Mr.. Hickson, General
Manager of the Road.
What He Thinks of the Project for a
New Elevator.
His Views of the Advantages the
Road Has Been to Portland.

The PRESS, yesterday morning, announced
the arrival in the city Of several of the heads
OF departments of the Grand Trunk Railway,
and stated that General Manager Hickson
was expected Wednesday night. Mr.. Hickson
did arrive from Boston, in his special car.
about midnight and the car was side track
ed in the Grand Trunk yard where Mr..
Hickson will remain until this morning
when he will return to Montreal.
Yesterday morning representative of the
PRESS met Mr.. Hickson and was favored
with an interesting interview In response
to an inquiry as to whether his visit had any
specisl significance Mr.. Hickson said it had
not. He came here to make a thorough in
spection of the company's property Refer
ring to this subject Mr.. Hickson said, with
twinkle of the eye, which was natural un-
der the circumstances, 1--WE have Yesterday
paid $2SS,000 from the sinking fund into the
treasury of the city of Portland, and next
November shall pay $3OS,O00 more. The
latter payment will release the mortgage the
city holds on the Atlantic & St Lawrence
Railroad property which will then become
the property of the Grand Trunk, free from
encumbrances. l think" said Mr.. Hick-
that the city of Portland has, all along. re-
ceived its six per cent interest on the mort
gage sum, and is now getting back its princi-
pal, it is doing, at least, as well with the
Grand Trunk as it has with any other of its
railroad investments"
The Grand Trunk spends considerable
money in Portland, does it not Mr.. Hick-
son." said the reporter.
"Of that" said Mr.. Hickson, sit is posi-
Bile for you to judge as well as myself. We
occupy almost, If not quite, half of the
whole water front of the city. We are con-
tlnually making improvements, rebuilding
old, or constructing new, sheds for the oc-
cupancy of goods in transit, driving new
piling for the wharves, having new locomo-
tives constructed, all of which makes work
1or Portland mechanics. and leaves large
sums of money in the city. Then we furnish
the freight for the lines of ocean steamships
sailing from the port, and these companies
In their turn. pay out some $4,000 every
winter to the help employed in the loading
and unloading of cargoes. With the increase
OF business. comes the necessity of more
facilities, both in the convaniences for tax
ing care of the goods and in removing them
to foreign ports after they have arrived
here"
Your visit here has no special reference
to the proposed new elevator has it Mr..
HicksonP" said the reporter.
mo sir. although should be well pleased
to meet the members of the committee ap-
pointed by the Board of Trade. suppose
the hardness in coming to hearing in this
matter is due chiefly to myself. But this
has been wholly unintentional The fact is
That have been exceedingly busy and have
been unable to get around to it. regret to
hear that both Mr.. Jackson and Mr.. Brown
are out of town because l should have been
glad to meet them. You will remember that
some years ago proposition was made to
erect another elevator in Portland. That
project fell through but another one may
take form and substance. When the city of
Portland built the present elevator there was
feeling, among some, that it was entirely
too large. if not uncalled for But that ele-
vator now has all that it can do and great
deal more. Ii the citizens of Portland should
erect another elevator of the capacity that
has been mentioned, it is most probable th
In much less time, than was the case with
the present elevator, it will be found that
even the new one will hardly be equal to the
demands Of business.
Of the harbor, Mr.. Hickson said. s'the
company has been busily engaged dredging
its docks and it can now accommodate at
any of them vessels drawing 80 feet Of water
at low water line. Major Smith, the head
OF the engineer corps of your army, has
dredged out the middle ground and other
places. at the rate of $500 cubic yards day
and at the beginning of the winter season,
now close at hand, will have dredged over
100000 cubic yards, so that the harbor facili-
ties for steamers of the largest draught can
not be surpassed in this country.
Mr.. Hickson then continued on his tour of
inspection, and thorough business be made
of it. There was nothing perfunctory in the
examination. Into all kinds of holes and
back corners, up old stairways, and over ash
heaps, he plodded and poked, commencing
this, and sharply criticising that As a
whole he appeared rather pleased with the
condition of things.
In the evening Mr.. Hickson gave very
enjoyable dinner to Messrs. Hannaford.
Stephenson, Wallace, Lloyd. Charles and
Frank Barnett and other officers of the road.
at the Famouth Hotal